Halogenated hydrocarbons (also called halocarbons) contribute to global warming (greenhouse effect) as well as, in certain cases, to the depletion of the ozone layer.

Environmental legislation provides for a gradual reduction in the use of these substances, starting with those causing damage to the ozone layer.

In this respect, businesses must request a permit from the Air/Noise Department (Division Air/Bruit) of the Environment Agency (Administration de l’environnement) for the recovery and transport of these substances.

By downloading a form

Eligible businesses

It is necessary to hold a specific authorisation if the business is carrying out the dismantling and transportation of:

fixed or mobile fire extinguishing equipment;

air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment, including household refrigerators and freezers;

heat pumps;

air dryers or dehumidifiers;

insulating material, etc.

The authorisation procedure differs depending on the type of fluid recovered and/or transported (halons or CFCs).

Substances concerned

The regulation aims at eliminating:

halons previously used as extinguishing gas;

as well as the halogenated fluids CFC (chlorofluorocarbon) and H-CFC (hydrochlorofluorocarbon) which were formerly used as refrigerating fluids and as a foaming agent in certain insulating materials in particular.

Fire protection systems and fire extinguishers containing halons should have been decommissioned before the end of 2003. Where this has not yet been carried out, halons must now be recovered for ecological destruction.

As far as the halogenated fluids are concerned:

recharging equipments with CFC type fluids is not authorised since 1 January 1997;

recharging equipments with virgin H-CFC fluids is no longer authorised since 1 January 2010;

recharging equipments with any category of fluid (i.e. virgin, recycled or reclaimed) will be banned as from 1 January 2015.

Activities concerned

the dismantling of fire protection systems for the purpose of recovering the halons;

the transportation of small quantities of halons (less than 300 litres per journey) from fixed installations from the place of dismantling to a temporary intermediate warehouse (warehouse in Luxembourg, intermediate storage prior to transfer to a disposal facility);

the transportation of mobile extinguishers containing small quantities of halons (less than 300 litres per journey) from the place of use to a temporary intermediate warehouse (warehouse in Luxembourg, intermediate storage prior to transfer to a disposal facility);

the recovery and transportation of halogenated coolants. In this case, no limit is set with regard to the quantities transported.